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Thursday, November 25, 2010

Faith (Markie's Mom) is the hostess today for the Stampin'B's challenge. She wanted us to make a holiday card. Even though today is Thanksgiving (and that would have been more appropriate), I chose to make a Christmas card.

I stamped the Santa stamp on white and colored him with Copic markers, adding some white Flower Soft to his hat. I used a new (for me) Cuttlebug folder -- Grace's Frame -- and centered the stamp in the frame. I added a small gingham bow and some white pearls, and I was finished.-------Stamps - Mark's Finest Papers Christmas PostagePaper - MFP Snow Storm Smooth and Deep ScarletInk - Versafine Black OnyxAccessories - Copic markers, Flower Soft, Cuttlebug and Grace's Frame folder, Half-pearls, Ribbon

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Joanne was the hostess for this week's Stampin'B's challenge, and her theme was snowflakes, snowflakes, snowflakes.

I took her literally and included lots of snowflakes on my card. The main image, of course, is that cute snowman from Mark's Finest Papers' set Snowman Country -- colored with blues and grays. The snow falling on him was created using one of the Stampin' Up Itty Bitty Backgrounds. I embossed a piece of DCWV adhesive cardstock, using a Sizzix die. Because the cardstock has a white back, I was able to sand off some of the blue color, making the snowflakes more visible. I found that wonderful bling at Hobby Lobby on sale at 50% off for a pack of four different snowflakes. -------------Stamps - Mark's Finest Papers Snowman Country; Stampin' Up Itty Bitty BackgroundsInk - Versafine Black OnyxPaper - Mark's Finest Papers Snow Wonder, Dark Night Navy; DCWV Adhesive stackAccessories - Gemstone snowflake, Ribbon, Oval punches, Copic markers, Sizzix snowflake folder

Monday, November 15, 2010

I spent this past weekend visiting my sister, who lives about four hours away. We spent the majority of our time making Christmas cards. We have a project of making cards for the 90 residents at the assisted living facility where my mom lives. Here are some of the cards I made.

For your chance to win BLOG CANDY, (a set that will be released NEXT month), visit and comment on each of the design team members' blogs TODAY. On Saturday, (November 13, 2010), a winner will be chosen from those participants who visited all the blogs listed for today. (There will be four different winners, one winner for each day of the blog hop. You DO NOT have to comment every day. However, the more days you comment, the more chances you have to win!) If you miss a day, you can go back and comment on each day's blogs, as the winners will be chosen Saturday morning!

We end the Blog Hop with Musical Holiday.

This is another layout I found on Page Maps. With the exception of the MFP Aged Cranberry card base, all papers on this card are from Basic Grey Wassail DP. The sheet music was stamped with Palette Charcoal and then cut into four pieces. Obviously the hardest part of this card was cutting out that French horn. I actually left a few areas uncut – I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to cut close enough.

My final card for the blog hop is a simple layout and pretty self-explanatory. The cardbase is MFP August Greens and the horizontal DP is from Basic Grey Wassail.

These salt and pepper shakers with their holly ring around the top go well with the holly in that last card.

Be sure to visit the rest of the team to see what they did with this set and comment on each of the participating members’ blogs. You have one more chance to win one of the stamp sets to be released next month.

For your chance to win BLOG CANDY, (a set that will be released NEXT month), visit and comment on each of the design team members' blogs TODAY. On Saturday, (November 13, 2010), a winner will be chosen from those participants who visited all the blogs listed for today. (There will be four different winners, one winner for each day of the blog hop. You DO NOT have to comment every day. However, the more days you comment, the more chances you have to win!) If you miss a day, you can go back and comment on each day's blogs, as the winners will be chosen Saturday morning!

My first project is serving two purposes – the Stampin’B’s challenge for this week and also Day 3 of the Blog Hop.

The hostess for this week’s Stampin’B’s challenge was Vicki Dutcher, who wanted us to make a “home” card. I love the look of the split negative, and this house image from Welcome Home seemed perfect for that technique. I stamped two versions – one in Versafine Olympia Green on MFP Snow Storm Smooth and the other in SU Whisper White on MFP Seeds of Thyme. I like the look of the traditional red and green of the stripes in that DP. The Christmas tree “charm” is actually an enameled brad, with the “legs” bent to create a hook at the back.

The other main image of this set is a lighthouse. I had made another card recently using this image with these same DPs (Basic Grey Granola), and I liked the way it turned out – so I used them again, on a smaller scale. The “sand” and “water” are made from Mudd Puddles, a product I recently found. The sentiment and seagulls are from MFP’s Tropical Vacation set.

These lighthouse salt and pepper shakers are from Key West, Florida.

Don’t forget -- For another chance to win a free stamp set, be sure to visit the blogs of the rest of today’s design team and comment on each.

Here is the Blog Hop LINE UP for today, but LOOK for a NEW LINK LIST TOMORROW!!!

For your chance to win BLOG CANDY, (a set that will be released NEXT month), visit and comment on each of the design team members' blogs TODAY. On Saturday, (November 13, 2010), a winner will be chosen from those participants who visited all the blogs listed for today. (There will be four different winners, one winner for each day of the blog hop. You DO NOT have to comment every day. However, the more days you comment, the more chances you have to win!) If you miss a day, you can go back and comment on each day's blogs, as the winners will be chosen Saturday morning!

Again I have created two projects with today’s sets – Christmas Postage Due and Bold & Free.

My first card for Christmas Postage Due is a paper-pieced project using the nutcracker stamp. Not a lot of explanation needed for this one. The DP is from Basic Grey’s Marrakech paper pad. I used some Flower Soft on his hair and beard – and a Martha Stewart punch topped with a strip of DP to make the “ribbon.”

My second card is an accordion card, using all three of the postage stamp images from today’s set, along with several images and sentiments from various other MFP sets. The poinsettia is from a 12” Spellbinders border die, and the reindeer and tree are from Spellbinders Fanciful Holiday diecut set. I know you can't see it, but I couldn’t resist putting a red nose on that reindeer.

This buffalo head in the laurel wreath from Bold and Free is very dramatic, so I didn’t want to have too much more activity on my card to take away from his “awesomeness.” I made a frame using some DP from 7Gypsies Avagnon pad and an oval of brown. After coloring the buffalo with Copic markers, I added a little Nut Brown Flower Soft on his forehead to give him that shaggy look of buffaloes. I added the sentiment and the two small feathers as a subtle embellishment.

I am giving this stationery set to my best friend for Christmas. She loves anything Southwest.

Following the SCS tutorial, I made this stationery box using some heavy two-sided patterned paper from my stash. Inside the box are six A2 notecards, four 3x3 notecards, and some tags – along with a little booklet of lined paper, some postage stamps, and a pen.

These are the cards and tags included.

While the Indians on these salt and pepper shakers are not Southwestern (as you can see, the shakers are souvenirs of Pennsylvania), they were the closest ones I could find in my collection that seemed appropriate.

Be sure to visit the rest of the team to see what they did with these beautiful sets and comment on each blog. You have a chance to win one of the stamp sets to be released next month.

Here is the Blog Hop LINE UP for today, but LOOK for a NEW LINK LIST TOMORROW!!!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

We have 6 New Stamp Sets Released: Brick Wall, Bells on Bobtail, Christmas Postage Due, Bold & Free, Muscial Holiday and Welcome Home. For your convenience, all 6 stamp sets are available for purchase TODAY!For your chance to win BLOG CANDY, (a set that will be released NEXT month), visit and comment on each of the design team members' blogs TODAY. On Saturday, (November 13, 2010), a winner will be chosen from those participants who visited all the blogs listed for today. (There will be four different winners, one winner for each day of the blog hop. You DO NOT have to comment every day. However, the more days you comment, the more chances you have to win!) If you miss a day, you can go back and comment on each day's blogs, as the winners will be chosen Saturday morning!

I’m starting off the Hop with two projects for each of today’s sets – Brick Wall and Bells on Bobtail.

My first project is a flap card, using MFP Groovin’ Grape, Snow Storm Smooth; and Basic Grey Wisteria DP. The images were stamped with Palette Jardin Moss, clear embossed and colored with Copic markers. The bow is not really tied, just folded at strategic points, tied a with a little string, and decorated with a square brad. I wrapped it around the flap and attached with sticky tape.

In looking for a 3-D project for today, I came across the tutorial for the laced luminaria on SCS. Not having the Sizzix scallop circle die, I used my Spellbinders scallop circle die – using cardboard rather than the coaster for the base, and covered it with some MFP Hurricane Gray cardstock, stamped with the Brick Wall image. I stamped the flowering vine on the vellum before running it through the crimper, and then laced up the four pieces with some narrow red and white ribbon.

I found the layout for this card at Page Maps. The small jingle bells from Bells on Bobtail are stamped with ColorBox silver pigment ink and then embossed with silver embossing powder. The two red bows are colored with Copic markers, but the green one is paper-pieced using a scrap of green plaid DP. The various smaller circles are punched from several different papers from Basic Grey Jovial DP.

I have been wanting to do a stage card for quite some time. Following the directions I found online, I cut out several trees and the horse and sleigh; and then I placed them strategically on the “stage.” Because the inside of the card was so “busy,” the front is relatively simple. The only stamping on the front is the sentiment.

I thought this salt & pepper couple might have been out in the woods with that horse and sleigh and cut down a couple of Christmas trees.

Be sure to visit the rest of the team to see what they did with this set. And remember, you have a chance to win one of the stamp sets to be released next month.

Here is the Blog Hop LINE UP for today, but LOOK for a NEW LINK LIST TOMORROW!!!

Thursday, November 4, 2010

I was the hostess for the Stampin'B's DT Blog challenge this week, and I asked the team to make a card using an animal image in a diecut.

For my animal I chose the buffalo silhouette from a brand new Mark's Finest Papers' set called Bold and Free, which will be released next week. The diecut is a Spellbinders mega curved rectangle. The grasses are stamped in Versafine Vintage Sepia, with the buffalo is stamped in Versafine Black Onyx, both clear embossed. I found it interesting that, even though the buffalo was stamped on top of the grasses, he appeared to be behind the grasses after I embossed him. I didn't want puffy clouds in the sky, so I just tore some paper randomly and then sponged the Palette Ballet Blue over top. It gave a more subtle sky, allowing the sun to be prominent. The background paper is from 7Gypies Avagnon DP pad. I'm not sure what the map was supposed to be, but it sort of looks like a western prairie. The small buffalo in the tag is actually part of a larger stamp (of four buffalos).-----------Stamps - Mark's Finest Papers Bold & FreeInk - Versafine Vintage Sepia and Black Onyx; Palette Ballet Blue; Tim Holtz Scattered Straw and Wild HoneyPaper - Mark's Finest Paper Flecked Dirt, Blue Skies, Snow Storm Smooth; 7Gypsies Avagnon DPAccessories - Mega Curved Rectangle Nestabilities, Clear embossing powder, Twine, Sponge daubers, Circle punches

Clownmom

A little about me

My name is Lois, and I've been stamping since 2006. I retired a couple of years ago; and, although I volunteer at my church and a local non-profit, I do spend a great deal of my energies on this exciting hobby. My late husband and I raised three children, and I have eight grandchildren -- from age 9 to 27.